Annuli accumulator instruments



p 1961 J. F. CLANCY ANNULI ACCUMULATOR INSTRUMENTS Filed June 4,

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. c/Zh? [Z1 d camw' Sept. 19, 1961 J. F. CLANCY ANNULI ACCUMULATOR INSTRUMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1958 dz a R m m/a V; 2

' arm/mar United States Patent ANNULI ACCUMULATOR INSTRUMENTS John F. Clancy, deceased, late of East Troy, Wis., by

Marie F. Clancy, executrix, East Troy, Wis., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1958, Ser. No. 739,940

. 11 Claims. (Cl. 235-117) This invention relates to instruments for measuring values and more particularly to accumulators such as odometers of the coaxial annuli or numeral wheel type.

Instruments of this general type, as used on motor vehicle spje'edometers for registering mileage, have been mechanically operated and have proven satisfactory under difiicult conditions despite their intricacies and fragile construction. also been facilitated in various ways, one manner being as illustrated in the United States Patent 2,547,751 granted April 3, 1951, in the name of Henry H. Harada and entitled Resetting Device. Despite the success of such prior devices, there are advantages in producing an accumulator which is not a strictly mechanized device and which yields itself to production methods of fast punch press operation and assembly by stacking.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved accumulator instrument which is low in manufacturing cost, simple in construction, and which lends itself to the use of automatic machinery in handling and assembling the parts. Another object is to provide an instrument, such as an odometer, which may conveniently be reset to zero and without regard to the reading of the instrument.

A feature of the present invention is a coaxial annuli or numeral wheel instrument with nonmagnetic flat discs interposed between the annuli, a slot and holes being provided in the discs through which magnetic balls serve to transmit a step-by-step rotative motion from one annulus or wheel to the next thereby to effect an accumulator function. Another feature resides in a nonmagnetic disc having tapered holes and a tapered slot whereby a precise and intermittent driving action of a magnetically operated annuli or numeral Wheel type accumulator or odometer may be efiected. One other feature pertains to a resetting arrangement whereby a zero setting of an accumulator may be had, the arrangement comprising means for rotating the annuli or numeral wheel in one direction an extent determined by stops at the Zero instrument reading.

The above and other important features of the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through the length of an odometer representing one embodiment of the present invention; 7

FIG. 2 is an end view of the instrument shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View, drawn to an enlarged scale,'showing a detail of the assembly;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View looking in the direction of the arrows 6-6 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of annuli, discs and magnetic balls used in the assembly if FIG. 1, a supporting shaft and sleeve being omitted.

The odometer illustrated in the drawings is operated magnetically and relying upon the well known principle Resetting of the instruments to zero has 3,000,560 Patented Sept. 19, 1961 that magnetic lines of force will follow a circuitous iron path of a considerable length in preference to jumping a very short air gap. This magnetic force can be controlled by introducing nonmagnetic shields to reduce it and to withdraw such shields to increase it. Permanent magnets are produced in great quantities, are accurately made to stable dimensions and can be purchased at low cost. Such a magnet is preferred and used in the instant disclosure although it should be understood that a temporarily magnetized corecould be used without avoiding the principles of the invention.

In the assembly of FIG. 1, a steel plate 10 is provided to act as a support and to be fixed to a bracket (not shown) or some other element associated with an instrument panel where the odometer is to be mounted for visual observation by an operator. This plate is substantially rectangular in configuration except for an ear 12 extending upwardly from the top thereof. This ear is'notched as at 14 and also defines a vertically extending slot 16 close to the main body of the plate 10. Extending downwardly into the plate 10 is a threaded aperture 18 in which is received a set screw 20 for engaging one end of a permanently magnetized cylindrical shaft 22 received in the plate. This shaft is in the form of an Alnico magnet. Extending upwardly into the bottom of the plate 10 is a screw 24 which serves to support one end of an L-shaped bracket 26, a vertical leg 28 of which is apertured rotatably to receive the smooth surfaced cylindrical end of a sleeve 30 which is splined for a part of its length and is preferably made of brass. The bracket 26 has an ear portion 31 which is apertured slidably to receive a resetting shaft 32. The latter has a cotter pin 34 to hold a washer 36 and the latter is retained in positionpon the shaft by a coil spring 38. One end of the shaft 32 is provided with a gear 40 the side of which normally bears against the ear 31 because of the spring 38. The teeth of the gear 40 are adapted'to mesh with teeth 42 on the end of the sleeve 30 when the shaft 32 is moved axially by a hand knob (not shown) to promote such engagement. Release of the shaft 32 will, of course, causedisengagement of the two sets of teeth and assumption of the normal position of the gear 40 as shown in FIG. 2. Theupper end of the bracket leg 28 bears an -open notch 44in alignment with the notch 14. It also is provided with a vertical slot 46 in alignment with the vertical slot 16.

Stop means in the form of a rod 48 is provided at the top of the odometer. The ends of this rod extend through the vertical slots 16 and 46 and heads 49 are provided on the ends of the rod to prevent axial displacement of the latter. Tensioning springs 50 are retained in position by means of screws 52 and the notches 14 and 44 for the purpose of urging the heads 49 and hence the rod 48 downwardly as permitted by the extent of the vertical slots 16 and 46.

On the cylindrical portion of the sleeve 30 and abutting the bracket leg 28 is a steel gear member 54 having radial teeth 56. These teeth are adapted to mesh with a worm 58 to be rotated by a cable 60 which transmits, from its source, the value to be measured by the instrument. In the case of an odometer, the shaft 60 would be protected by a flexible conduit 61 and be connected to the transmission and transmit the requisite data in values to be indicated by the instrument as expressed in terms of miles traveled.

Rotatively mounted on a cylindrical portion 62 of the gear 54 is an annulus 64. A one-way clutch arrangement is provided between the gear 54 and its portion 62 and the annulus 64 by means of a ball 66 retained in a bore 68 penetrating the annulus 64 in a direction tangential to the exterior of the cylindrical portion 62. This is a conventional one-way clutch arrangement and it will be wise directi-on, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 6, the ball 66 will frictionally be engaged by the cylindrical portion 62 and thereby cause the annulus 64. to rotate with the gear '54 and-in the same direction. A rotation of thelatter in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, will cause disengagement of'the ball 66 and the annulus 64 will remain stationary.

The sleeve 30 is splined as at 70 for a part of its'length non-rotatively to engage the inner peripheries of three aluminum discs 72. These discs are similar and, there fore, only one need be described. {Each of these discs is circular, thin. and flat and bears an annular series of holes 74 which are tapered in one direction as seen in FIGS. 4 and 7. Within the diameter of this series of holes 7 4 is located a slot 76 of arcuateconfiguration and one end of this slot is tapered as at 78.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the length of the slot corresponds with the spacing of the holes 74 as will be better understood when the'description proceeds.

Two of the aluminum discs 72 are each paired to a thin, flat disc 80. This disc is best shown in FIG. 3

and carries a series of circular holes 82 as Well as a peripheral cam flange 83 and a shoulder 84. The disc is preferably of plastic material and is conveniently joined to an adjacent annulus such as 86 or 88 by means of an adhesive. It will be noted that the inner periphery 86 of each disc is circular enabling the disc to be rotated freely over the splines 70. Each shoulder 84 faces a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, which is opposite to the normal direction of drive by the gear 54.

Interposed between an annular shoulderon the gear 54 and the annulus 64 is a plastic disc 90 which is similar to the discs 80' except that it has only one openinga central one for the reception of the cylindrical portion 62. It is provided with a shoulder 92 which is similar infunction to each shoulder 84;1i.e., for engagement with the stop rod '48. A fourth plastic disc 94 is similar to each of the discs 80 except that it is cemented to one .face of the plate 10 and is not provided with a cam surface and stop shoulder 84 as in the case of the other three plastic discs.

Cemented to the periphery of each of the annuli 64, 86 and88 is a plastic strip 98 forming :a cylindrical surface upon whichis printed symbols from zero to nine, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Two pockets 100 and '102 are formed in the annulus 64 by drilling from one sidethereof. .Linearly movable in each of these pockets is a ball 104 or '106. The pockets are of sufficient diameter to permitffree linear movement of the balls'but with substantially no movement with respect to the annulus 64 other than in the direction of the axis of each respective-pocket.

It will be noted that the ball 104 is adapted to register with the arcuate slot 76 formed in -the metal disc 72. The ball 106, on the other hand, is adapted to register with one of the holes 74 in that disc. Each of the annuli 86 and 88 has balls 104 and 106 adapted to act in the same way with respect to the correspondingthin and fiat discs adjacent to them.

During normal operation ofthe odometer the cable 60 serves to rotate the worm- 58 which in turn causes the gear 54 to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2. As a result, the ball-66 wedges in place to effect clutch engagement and the first annulus 64 is caused to rotate with the gear 54. -When the bail 104 reaches the slot 76 in the nonmagnetic metal, disc 72, it is attracted toward the second annulus 86 because of the magnetic forces existent. Upon. continued rotation of the annulus '64 the ball will roll along the slot- 76 until the ball snaps into one of the holes 82. When this occurs a much stronger attractive force exists between the'two annuli 64 and 86 with the resultthat theannulus 86 will rotate withthe annulus 64. When the ball 104 reaches the tapered end'78 of the slot, thesides, of the 4- slot will serve to wedge or cam the ball 104 out of registration with the hole 82 and, as the ball continues its rotation with the annulus 64, it is separated from the annulus 86 by not only one disc, but by the two discs 72 and 80. This separation is equivalent to an air gap in its action. The travel of the ball in the slot. isamade approximately 36-degrees around the axis of the shaft 22 or one-tenth of a revolution about the odometer annuli axis. Accordingly, for every complete revolution of the first annulus 64, the secondyannulus 86 will berotated 3'6 degrees or one-tenth of a revolution.

The question then arises as to the positive retaining of the second annulus 86 in its definite position after its rotation for 36 degrees. This is effected :by virtue of the action of the ball 106 for, when the 36 degrees rotation has occurred, the ball 106 snaps into a hole 74 but never contacts the annulus 86. It is at all'times separated from theannulus 'by the plastic disc 80. ;A separator, such as'the' latter, even if it'be only .010 inch thick, reduces the attraction of the ball 106 to the adjacent annulus to only a fraction of the pull exerted on the ball 104 whenthelatter is in-direct-contact withthe annulus 86 or 88 or the plate 10.

Although the annuli and discs are mechanically held together by the plate 10 and the leg 28, the magnetic shaft 22 serves to pull the assembly together and holds it as a unit. The annuli 64, 86 and 88 are magnetic being conveniently made of steel with the fiux lines running as indicated with arrows in FIG. 1. Each -ball-106 in each annulus (except in annulus 64) meshes with a hole 74 in a stationary disc serves to hold the numbersor symbols of the instrument in proper alignmentzat all times "between the rotative steps. As for the last annulus 88, the ball 104 provides a strong attraction,-not to:drive a following annulus, but to insure that'only a tenth of a revolution is given to the annulus 88 irra given step. The ball 106m that annulus holds the position of all the annuli between steps.

Thenumber of annuli or numeral wheels is, of-course,

determinedby. the-number of digitstoberegistered on means of the rod 32. The latter is moved axially to compress the spring 38 and mesh thegear-40 with the teeth '42 on the splined sleeve 30. The rod 32 is then rotated to rotate the sleeve in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thecam flange-83 on each of the twodiscs and the similarflange89 on the disc 90 are so placed that the corresponding shoulders 84 and 92 will be stopped by the'bar 48 when the three annuli 86, 88 and 64- arrive at their zeropositions. A further rotation of the sleeve 30'Willhave no effect as the steel balls merely move intortheir pockets without exerting any undue driving force on the annuli. There are various other and obvious ways of resetting the annuli to zero and-it is not necessaryto glance at the instrument to insure that the zero reading has been attained. During normaloperation ofthe odometer the cam flanges 8? and 83 deflectthe stop. rod 48-u-pward1y against the springs '50 so. that the rod-is inefifective.

The annuli or numeral wheels64, .86. and88 areridentical except for the clutch provision inone of them. This permits rapid production as they may be cut with ease and exactitude from colddrawn'tubing. The forming of the pockets and 102 is easily'undertaken by drilling. Tolerances need not be close and a smooth running, noiseless device is attained. The thin, flat discs of aluminum and plastic material lendthemselves to high quantity production, and assembly is merely a matter of stacking the annuli or wheels and discs around the coaxial shaft and splined sleeve.

I claim:

1. An accumulator instrument comprising a shaft, two numeral wheels mounted for rotation on said shaft, means for rotating one of said wheels, two flat discs of nonmagnetic material interposed between said wheels, one of said discs being fixed and in contact with said one wheel, the other of said discs being attached to the other wheel to rotate therewith, an annular series of holes in each of said discs, the two series of holes being arranged coaxially and with different radii, an arcuate slot in said one disc, said one wheel having two pockets, a ball linearly movable in each of said pockets, one of said balls being adapted to register with a hole in said fixed disc, the other of said balls being adapted to register with said slot and a hole in said rotatable disc, the said wheels and balls being of magnetic material, and said wheels being mutually attracted magnetically.

2. An accumulator instrument comprising a shaft nonrotatively fixed to a support, coaxial wheels mounted for rotation around said shaft, means at one end of said coaxial wheels connected to one wheel for rotating the latter, two thin discs of nonmagnetic material interposed between each set of adjacent wheels, one of said discs being fixed and in contact with one wheel, the other of 7 said discs being attached to another wheel to rotate therewith, an annular series of holes in each of said discs, an arcuate slot in said one disc, said one wheel having two pockets, a ball linearly movable in each of said pockets, one of said balls being adapted to register with a hole in said fixed disc and to contact said rotatable disc, the other of said balls being adapted to register with said slot in said fixed disc and a hole in said rotatable disc, and the said wheels and balls being mutually and magnetically attracted.

3. An accumulator instrument comprising a shaft, two numeral wheels mounted for rotation coaxially with said shaft, one-way clutch means for rotating one of said wheels in one direction, two flat discs of nonmagnetic material interposed between said wheels, one of said discs being fixed and in contact with said one wheel, the other of said discs being attached to the other wheel to rotate therewith, an annular series of holes in each of said discs, the holes in one of said discs being one distance from said shaft and the holes in the other of said discs being at another distance from said shaft, an arcuate slot in said one disc, said one wheel having two pockets, a ball linearly movable in each of said pockets, one of said balls being adapted to register with a hole in said fixed disc, the other of said balls being adapted to register with said slot and a hole in said rotatable disc, stop means fixed in position relative to said shaft, a shoulder on said other disc arranged upon rotation of the latter to engage said stop means, means for rotating and thereby resetting said other disc and wheel, the said wheels and balls being of magnetic material, and said shaft being permanently magnetized.

4. An instrument such as set forth in claim 2, and including resetting meansfor rotating said numeral wheels independent of said rotating means.

5. An accumulator instrument comprising a permanently magnetized shaft non-rotatively fixed to a support, two numeral wheels mounted for rotation about said shaft, means for rotating one of said whels, two flat discs of nonmagnetic material interposed between said Wheels, one of said discs being normally fixed in position with relation to said shaft and in contact with said one wheel, the other of said discs being attached to the other Wheel and adapted to rotate therewith, an annular series of holes in each of said discs, an arcuate slot in said one disc,

numeral wheels mounted for rotation about said shaft,

means for rotating one of said Wheels, two flat discs interposed between said wheels, one of said discs being of nonmagnetic metal and normally fixed in position in contact with said one wheel, the other of said discs being of nonmagnetic material such as plastic and 'being attached to the other Wheel to rotate therewith, an annular series of holes in each of said discs, an arcuate slot in said metal disc, said one wheel having two pockets, a ball linearly movable in each of said pockets, one of said balls being adapted to register with a hole in said metal disc and to contact said other disc, the other of said balls being adapted to register with said slot in said metal disc and r a hole in said other disc, and the said Wheels and balls being mutually attracted magnetically.

7. An accumulator such as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for rotating said one Wheel comprises a one-way clutch arrangement.

8. An accumulator instrument such as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for rotating said one wheel comprises a one-way clutch arrangement for rotating the wheels in one direction, and in which resetting means are included for rotating said Wheels in the other direction.

9. An accumulator instrument such as set forth in claim 1, and the said arcuate slot having a tapered end.

10. An accumulator instrument such as set forth in I claim 1, the arcuate slot having one tapered end and each of the holes in said fixed disc being tapered.

11. An accumulator instrument such as an odometer comprising a permanently magnetized shaft fixed to a support, coaxial numeral wheels mounted for rotation about said shaft, gearing connected to one of said wheels for rotating the same in one direction, said gearing being effective through a one-way clutch arrangement, two flat discs interposed between adjacent wheels, one of said discs being of nonmagnetic metal and normally fixed in position and in contact with one wheel, the other of said two discs being attached to another wheel to rotate therewith, two annular series of holes in said discs the said two series of holes being coaxial and arranged at diifering diameters, an arcuate slot in said one disc and having a tapered end, said one wheel having two pockets, a ball linearly movable in each of said pockets, one of said balls being adapted to register with a hole in said normally fixed disc, the other of said balls being adapted to register with said slot and a hole in the series of holes in said rotatable disc, resetting means associated with said wheels for rotating the latter in another direction, and the said Wheels and balls being of magnetic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,333,061 Browne Mar. 9, 1920 1,428,607 Nordmark Sept. 12, 1922 1,929,622 Carlson Oct. 10, 1933 2,300,223 Hottenroth Oct. 27, 1942 2,471,150 Goodale et al. May 24, 1949 2,583,843 Herrick Jan. 29, 1952 2,804,184 Bjork Aug. 27, 1957 

